Energy balance
Alternate-day fasting (ADF) and whole-day fasting protocols effectively reduce body weight, body fat, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in normal-weight, overweight, and obese adults over short-term periods (3-24 weeks).
To lose weight and improve cholesterol, try alternating between normal eating days and fasting days where you eat only one small meal (about 25% of your daily calories). Alternatively, fast completely or partially for 1-2 days a week. Stick to this for at least 3 weeks to see results. This approach works for various body types and is often easier to sustain than daily calorie counting.
Alternate-day fasting trials of 3 to 12 weeks in duration appear to be effective at reducing body weight (-3%–7%), body fat (-3–5.5 kg), total cholesterol (-10%–21%), and triglycerides (-14%–42%) in normal-weight, overweight, and obese humans. Whole-day fasting trials lasting 12 to 24 weeks also reduce body weight (-3%–9%) and body fat, and favorably improve blood lipids (-5%–20% reduction in total cholesterol and -17%–50% reduction in triglycerides).
Why this rating
This is a qualitative review of multiple human trials; while consistent, it lacks a single high-powered RCT or meta-analysis with pooled statistics.
Source
Effects of intermittent fasting on body composition and clinical health markers in humans
Grant M. Tinsley et al. · Nutrition Reviews · 2015
DOI 10.1093/nutrit/nuv041
More from this paper
- Alternate-day fasting improves cardiovascular risk markers by reducing total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol, and increasing LDL particle size, though effects on HDL are inconsistent.Moderate
- Time-restricted feeding (TRF) shows promise for health but current evidence is insufficient to draw clear conclusions regarding its efficacy compared to other fasting methods.Limited
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